NZ rural women attend world forum

Rural Women New Zealand delegates attended the recent Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW) conference in Melbourne. The conference focused on rural women throughout the world. Southland's Mid-East provincial president Ann Irving is at the back, with the peg bag on her head. President Fiona Gower is the second from the right. Photo: Supplied: Ann Irving

Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) delegates to the recent Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW) conference in Melbourne, sold socks, and the scarves from their necks, to raise money for the organisation.

Southland's Mid-East provincial president Ann Irving said she and 16 other RWNZ delegates, including national president Fiona Gower, attended the three-yearly conference in early April and she spent several additional days sightseeing.

Mrs Irving said the conference covered a range of topics, which affected rural women throughout the world.

The ACWW had carried out a global survey of rural women, asking questions about their situations and their rights.

However, she said only 2035 women responded with about 40% of those concerned about climate change and about 28% concerned about health care.

''It was the first total world survey of rural women and everyone was a bit shocked about how little buy-in there had been [in the survey] from rural women,'' Mrs Irving said.

She said one of the interesting comments was made about small villages in Russia that if there was no doctor or teacher, the community is forgotten about.

''People then choose to leave the area if they are worried about their health.''

She said she could see similarities in some small New Zealand communities.

There was also a discussion about slavery and human trafficking, which also had a parallel in New Zealand, where some workers are paid illegal rates.

''One thing that really is quite exciting was the food initiative we heard about.''

The Country Women's Association's Country Kitchens initiative in Victoria, which is similar to the Koha Kai programme, provides healthy lunch boxes in schools, as well as teaching adults about how to cook healthy food.

''People connect with other people over food.''

The New Zealand delegation also raised money for the organisation's Women Enabling Fund, which gives grants to overseas women to run projects to improve their lives and those of their families and communities.

In addition to a collection, they sold their ''Aftershock'' socks, peg bags and the scarves from around their necks, although she is unsure of how much was raised.

RWNZ branches raise money for the ACWW each year by hosting events or walks.

''I have been to ACWW conferences in Tonga, India and Warwick, in the UK, and am looking forward to the next one in Malaysia in three years,'' she said.